How to check the microphone on the Xiaomi smartphone: step-by-step instructions with tests and tips

The microphone in a Xiaomi smartphone is like an invisible bridge between you and the outside world: without it, you can neither call, record a voice message, or use a voice assistant. But what if the person complains that they can't hear you, and voice commands are ignored? Before you carry the phone to the service, you should diagnose the problem yourself. In 80% of cases, the malfunction of the microphone is not due to a hardware defect, but to software settings or a clogged connector.

This article will help you test the microphone performance on any Xiaomi smartphone, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Mi 13 Ultra. We will look at both standard diagnostic methods through built-in MIUI tools, and hidden engineering menus that few people know about. And if the problem is still hardware, you will learn how to distinguish a microphone malfunction from a speaker breakdown or network problems.

1. Quickly checking the microphone through the bell

The easiest way to check the microphone is to call another phone or use a voice assistant, which requires no additional apps and takes less than a minute.

Here's how to do it right:

• 📞 Call another phone (preferably with a headset to avoid echoes) and ask the person to confirm if they can hear you clearly. If the voice is interrupted or sounds quiet, the microphone is a problem.
• 🎤 Google Assistant or Alice (if you use Yandex.Search) If voice input is not recognized, the microphone does not transmit the signal.
• 🔊 Turn on speaker while you're talking. If you're listening to you better, the problem may be in the lower microphone (he's responsible for the normal call mode).

Important! If you hear yourself echoing during a call, it's not always a sign of a malfunction. In some Xiaomi models (such as the POCO X3 Pro), the echo is caused by the features of the sound processing in the firmware. Try turning off the Voice Improvement feature in the call settings.

2.Mic test by recording voice

The built-in recorder in MIUI is not only a recording tool, but also a great way to diagnose the microphone, and unlike a bell, here you can hear your voice in the recording and assess the sound quality.

Instructions for testing:

1. Open the Dictaphone app (if not, install it from Google Play).
2. Press the recording button and say a few phrases 10-15 cm from the microphone.
3. Stop the tape and listen to it: 🔇 No sound – the microphone doesn’t work at all. 📉 Silent or muted sound – the microphone may be clogged with dust or damaged. 🔊 Noise, cracking, distortion – contact problems or hardware malfunction.

If the recording is clean, but the people still can’t hear you when you’re calling, the problem may be in network settings or firmware, and resetting the network settings (more on this below) will help.

Pollution of the microphone hole|The volume of the microphone in the settings|The performance of the recorder on another device|Firmware updates-->

3. Check through the engineering menu (codes ##)

The hidden engineering menus in Xiaomi smartphones allow you to test hardware, including a microphone, without installing third-party apps. These menus are available on all models, but the paths to them may be slightly different.

Follow this instruction:

1. Open the Phone app and type the combination: ##4636## Some models (e.g. Redmi 9) may require a code: ##36446337###
2. In the menu that opens, select Information (or Hardware Information).
3. Scroll down to the Microphone section, which shows the signal strength in decibels (dB). Speak to the microphone, if the band is unresponsive or 0 dB, the microphone is faulty.

How to use such applications:

1. Install one of the apps from the list above.
2. Run the microphone test and follow the instructions on the screen (usually speaking into the microphone at a certain distance).
3. Note the metrics: Sensitivity: If the app doesn't respond to loud sound, the microphone is faulty. Frequency range: no high or low frequencies may indicate membrane damage. Latency: if the sound in the recording is more than 0.5 seconds behind, the driver problem.

⚠️ Note: Some microphone testing apps request access to contacts or locations.This is not necessary for them to work - refuse such permissions so as not to put your data at risk.

5. Checking the physical condition of the microphone

If software tests show no problems, but the microphone still doesn’t work, the cause may be physical damage. Xiaomi smartphones usually have two microphones: the main one (below, next to the charging connector) and an additional one (at the top, next to the speaker).

What needs to be done:

• 🔍 Examine the microphone holes for dust, dirt, or mechanical damage. Use a flashlight for a better view.
• 🧹 Clean the holes carefully with a soft brush or compressed air (do not use sharp objects!).
• 🔌 Check the headphone jack (if any): sometimes the phone mistakenly determines that the headset is connected and turns off the built-in microphone.
• 🛠️ If the phone fell or got wet, inspect the case for cracks near the microphone holes - this is a sign of possible damage to the plume.

On waterproof models (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the microphone holes are closed with a special membrane, so if the phone came into contact with water, the membrane could clog or deform, leading to muffled sound, in which case only replacing the membrane in the service center will help.

6. Resetting settings and firmware update

If all the tests show that the microphone is working, but the problems remain, the software is to blame. MIUI sometimes has bugs that cause the microphone to stop working properly after updating or installing certain applications.

What can be done:

• 🔄 Reset your network settings: go to Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting the network settings. This will help if the problem is voice-related.
• 📲 Clear the cache of system applications: go to Settings → Annexes → Manage applications, find Phone, Recorder and Google, then click Clear Cache.
• 🔧 Update the firmware: check for updates in Settings → The phone. → System updates. Sometimes microphone bugs get fixed in newer versions. MIUI.
• ⚙️ Reset all settings (last resort): Settings → The phone. → Resetting. Don't confuse it with a full reset! It will bring back the factory settings, but it won't delete your data.

⚠️ Note: If you decide to perform a full reset (Reset to factory settings), pre-backup the data via Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset on some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F4) After the reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account.

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If the microphone stopped working after updating the firmware — try to roll back to the previous version via Fastboot or contact the service. In 2023, users of Redmi Note 11 massively complained about problems with the microphone after upgrading to MIUI 14.0.4 — the problem was fixed in the next patch.

7. When to contact the service center

If none of these methods worked and the microphone still doesn't work, it's probably a hardware problem.

• 🚨 The microphone does not respond to any test (calls, recording, engineering menus).
• 🔊 There is a sound, but it is strongly distorted (cracking, wheezing, metallic tint).
• 💧 The phone fell into the water or was subjected to severe vibration (for example, after a fall).
• 🔌 A notification of the connected headset appears on the screen, although nothing is connected.

The cost of repairing the microphone in Xiaomi depends on the model:

• For budget smartphones (Redmi 10A, POCO M4 Pro) replacement microphone will cost 800-1 500 rubles.
• In flagships (Xiaomi 13T, Mi 12 Pro) the price can reach 2,500-3,500 rubles due to the complexity of disassembly.
• If not only the microphone, but also the plume or board is damaged, repairs will be more expensive (from 3,000 rubles).

Before the service visit:

1. Make sure the problem isn’t with the case (some magnet cases may block the microphone).
2. Check the phone on another. SIM-card (sometimes communication problems are mistaken for a malfunction of the microphone).
3. Make a backup copy of the data – the service may require resetting.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the microphone on Xiaomi